Subtle Differences
by letsnotbetaken
Summary: While reading the Deathly Hallows, Harry, Hermione, Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore, Snape and Draco view different Alternate Universes after every chapter in the Grimmauld Place.  I don't own HP.  EDITED!
1. Chapter 1

**Background Information/ Summary: During the summer before their Fifth Year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Severus Snape, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore are all stuck in the kitchen of 12 Grimmuald Place with a book titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but while reading the book scenes of their lives in Alternate Universes are shown such as: All muggle realm, If Harry was sorted in Slytherin, or Evil Weasleys. **

**The Dementors never came for Harry because he left the night before they came. Ron and the rest of the Weasleys didn't come that summer but the elder Weasleys would make a visit or two for the Order. **

**For the chapters of the actual story, I will not put them up but I will put up the last sentence and/or paragraph so you know how it ended.**

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><p>In the Black ancestral home, Grimmauld Place, Harry and Hermione came downstairs to the kitchen (which was only remotely cozy place in the whole house) for breakfast with Sirius. Hermione started the tea while Harry pulled out some toast and eggs.<p>

He knew better then to give Sirius or Hermione any food to cook. While Hermione might not burn the food or start a fire like Sirius, her food looked okay but ended up with no flavor. She admitted none of the women in the Granger could cook (including her mother) but the men, especially her father and uncles, were great cooks. She questioned (jokingly) if Harry wasn't a second cousin once removed.

Sirius on the other hand never dealt with food before because he was dependent on the house-elf, Kreacher. Sirius came into the kitchen in a sleepy daze with black bags under his eyes probably from the lack of sleep from the reoccurring nightmares of Azkaban and Harry wasn't far from him with the nightmares of Cedric and the Graveyard.

Harry fried some eggs and toasted the bread which Hermione buttered and Sirius poured tea for the three of them and they headed to the table with the food and ate in silence.

During breakfast Sirius received a letter that said Dumbledore was not having an Order meeting but he and Severus Snape, Remus Lupin and a guest were coming over at noon. So, Sirius headed up to feed Buckbeack before they came and Harry and Hermione went to the library so Hermione can look at some books and Harry can finish his summer homework.

Harry sat down at a table and pulled out his potions homework. He had to explain the properties and uses of hellebore. While Harry started on his summer homework which Hermione already got done, she looked through the library which was massive. She soon saw the books were alphabetized by title. She knew it was impossible because no one inhabited this house when all books about Harry were published by just for kicks Hermione looked.

"Oh Merlin!" Hermione said as she picked the book up and she ran to Harry. Startled he looked up to her with confusion plainly on his face.

"What is it, Hermione?" Harry asked putting down his quill. She handed him the book. He looked curiously at the title and paled.

_Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_.

Hermione took the book from Harry and opened the inside flap and read the summary…if there was one. Hermione nearly growled in frustration. She moved onto the next page, passed the title to see a series of _Harry_ _Potter_ books including _Sorcerer's Stone_ (Year One at Hogwarts), _Chamber of Secrets_ (Year Two at Hogwarts), _Prisoner_ _of_ _Azkaban_ (Year Three), _Goblet_ _of_ _Fire_ (Year Four), _Order of the Phoenix _(Year Five), and t_he Half-Blood Prince_ (Year Six).

"We should take this to Sirius, after all it was in his library," Hermione said. She closed the book wondering why the name J.K. Rowling sounded so familiar. Harry followed her down to the kitchen. They knew Sirius would be there because it was almost noon so he would start setting the table for lunch and the four guests. They hurried down the creaky old steps down to the kitchen and stormed into it not expecting to see the guests.

"Sirius!" Hermione and Harry called out at the same time and stopped their run at the sight of Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Lupin, and Draco Malfoy.

Hermione and Harry glance questionably at Draco. But Hermione was not going to be deterred from her task. "Hey, Malfoy! Okay, onto something more important (no offense), Sirius why do you have this book?"

Anything to ruin the tense atmosphere, he started with, "Hermione, I swear I was a teenage boy. Find one that doesn't have that - actually don't that's just weird - "

"Sirius! I wasn't talking about your porn collection," Hermione said without blushing. "I was talking about this." She shoved the large book in his arms. "And gross!" Hermione shivered. She looked queasily at Draco and Harry.

"_Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_," Sirius read out loud.

"Of course, there is a book of the precious Potter," Snape sneered.

"No, well, yeah, but Professor, look inside. It has a book for every year Harry was in Hogwarts. Not that unusual but it has a book for fifth and sixth year and I'm betting that's for Harry's seventh year. And look at the copyright date, I didn't but, I'm also betting it doesn't say 1995 or any year before that," Hermione said.

Sirius flipped a few pages and Hermione rung her hands nervously, hoping she was right. Sirius's grey eyes widened and he said, "Copyright date is 2007."

"And J.K. Rowling, the author's name is so familiar…Rowling…Rowling. Oh Merlin, I know who the author is," Hermione groaned. Albus looked on her with curious twinkling blue eyes.

"Oh, and who would that be Miss Granger?" he asked in his grandfatherly voice.

She sat at the table and held her head high by her elbows on the table and chin in hands. "My younger cousin, Jaclyn Kate Rowling; she's only a year younger but she has a little brother, Michael, which I told him night time stories of out years at Hogwarts. Of course, I sugar coated most of it for him but Jaclyn always had quite the imagination."

"Good going, Miss Granger," Snape sneered.

"Hey, I described you nicely which, not to be rude even though you are, you aren't nice. You make your own character sound better than yourself," Hermione bit out but then regretted it by covering her face with her hands. Dumbledore frowned but Black and Harry were grinning. Draco looked bored and Remus was quite entertained. But Snape was turning red.

Before Snape could say a thing, the doors in the kitchen doors and windows slammed shut and locked. Also, a note floated down onto the book which was lying innocently on the table.

Albus picked up the note and read, "_Dear Harry, Sirius, Albus, Draco, Hermione, Severus, and Remus. I want you all to read this book. In this story, you will all learn a little something about each other. Whether it was originally added or not, you see at the end of all the chapters of what your lives are in alternate universe. _

"_There are millions of alternate universes. You can't go to any of them but you can see them. If you're wondering what an alternate universe consists of then think of it as your world with missing or changed events like: there was no magic, Harry wasn't The Boy Who Lived, someone got placed in a different house, or a person wasn't born at all. You will see this and more. _

"_Here I'll be generous and show you as you open to the first chapter there will be a blank page. One at a time put your faces to it like a pensive and you will see a descriptions and clips from the person's life. But during this process you will learn of your future._

"_You can't change your future. Seeing the alternate universes is to show you not to think about the 'what if's' in life."_

Albus finished and said, "It wasn't signed."

"Well I'm not doing anything today so let's begin. I wonder who they'll start with." Sirius reached for the book and filled the pages till he got to the blank one. Without a word, he smirked and put his head forward and his whole body was sucked into it. Harry reached for him and then Lupin.

"We're going to follow them aren't we?" Malfoy asked.

"Dang me and my good friend caring instincts," Hermione complained and leaned forward.

Albus sighed, Snape growled, and Draco huffed and they all leaned in.

Once they all stood straight the blackness surrounding them faded and soon they were all in a white room filled with a massive screen. Words appeared and said, "**Hermione Granger. Magic does not exist**."

The screen showed Hermione as eleven years old at the table eating breakfast. Words appeared again. "**Now, she would have gotten her letter but it never came**."

"Hermione, honey, are you done packing for California," a lady who looked like an older version of Hermione called out.

"Yes, Mum!" Hermione yelled.

Words appeared again. "**Because of no Hogwarts letter, Hermione moved to California, America**."

Hermione was now fifteen in a recording studio singing and her voice was beautiful. "_I'm just a little bossy. I like it how I like it, when I like it and that's how it is_," Hermione sang.

Hermione was eighteen and had a fine womanly figure and was back in England singing for her World Tour. Hermione sang, "_You are the thunder and I am the lightning and I love the way you know who you are and to me it's exciting when you know it's meant to be_."

The next scene was a magazine with Hermione on the front with…Draco Malfoy. The real Hermione screeched. Draco had his arms around Hermione in the picture and the caption said "**Draco Malfoy, English Minister's son, is engaged to Hermione Granger, famous pop singer**."

Another picture of them except Hermione was quite round and they looked about twenty. "**Draco and Hermione Malfoy, soon expecting twins!**"

"Twins! What am I? A Weasley?" the real Hermione shrieked.

They were pulled out of the book and Hermione looked flustered and passed the book to Harry, who was next to her. Sirius was at the head of the table with Dumbledore to his left and Hermione to his right. Harry was to Hermione's right and Lupin was to his right. Snape was to Dumbledore's left and Draco was to Snape's left.

Harry cleared his throat, and read, "_Chapter one: The Dark Lord Ascending…_"

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><p>Review!<p>

Constructive Criticism but no flames.


	2. Chapter 2

_ch2_

"…'_Dinner, Nagini,' said Voldemort softly, and the great snake swayed and slithered from his shoulders onto the polished wood._" Harry finished reading the first chapter, gazing at Snape with hate and distrust in his eyes.

"Okay, you ready to see someone else's life?" Sirius said moving his hands up and down in excitement. He didn't wait for answer and let his head get pulled into the book and Harry, Hermione, Remus, Albus, Draco, and then Snape followed.

They appeared once again in a room with a large screen and words appeared on the screen: "**Alternate Universe: No James Potter**."

Everyone's eyes (but Snape-who was smirking-and Albus, whose were twinkly) widened.

The screened changed to a compartment on the Hogwart's Express Train. It showed an eleven year old Lily, Severus, Sirius, and Remus.

"Cheer up, Lily, we're going to Hogwarts!" Severus said.

"But you heard Tuni, she called me a freak!" Lily said and another tear came out. Sirius and Remus looked quite uncomfortable with a crying girl.

"She just doesn't understand." Severus tried to make her feel better.

"Is this…Tuni…a muggle?" Sirius asked quietly.

Lily wiped her eyes and nodded. "My sister."

"Muggles, no matter how hard they try, will never understand us. I'm not saying they're bad but, they will never fully comprehend all that we do and vice versa. She's probably scared and frightened of what she doesn't know," Remus said trying to help her.

"You're right," Lily agreed. "But I wish she wouldn't be so mean about it."

Sirius was looking at the ceiling trying to find a different topic. "Do you know what house you'll be in?"

"Sev lent me his _Hogwarts, A History_. I don't think I'll be in Slytherin. I might know things but I'm not very cunning with the information," Lily giggled.

"My whole family was in Slytherin. They aren't half bad once you get passed the strict conduct for a pure-blood upbringing and they can't stand muggles," Sirius shrugged. "My parents aren't that great but my brother, Reggie, and my cousins are pretty cool, Naricissa and Andromeda, though Bellatrix has anger issues." He finished with a shiver.

Lily smiled. Severus went next, "I like Slytherin, but Ravenclaw isn't too bad, I guess. I would hate to be in Hufflepuff or worse, Gryffindor."

Lily giggle, "I think my best bet in Ravenclaw, then Hufflepuff, and the Gryffindor; there's no way I could get into Slytherin."

Lily looked at Remus, "What about you?"

"Oh, I like Ravenclaw. My mom was in Ravenclaw though my dad was in Gryffindor. But my grandparents were in Hufflepuff and Slytherin. So, I guess I'm good for any house," Remus said quietly.

The picture faded and words appeared: **"The Sorting."**

The three Black sisters sat next to each other at the Slytherin table while they waited for their cousin to be sorted. "Bellatrix, calm down, little Siri will be with us no doubt," the youngest and only blonde said trying to console her oldest sister who had crazy black curly hair.

"Narcissa, you don't know, Sirius was acting out only a few weeks ago. You know as well as I do he only fits in with Slytherins or Gryffindors," Bellatrix said. A tall boy with dark hair put his arm around her. His name was Rodolphus Lestrange. They were planning to marry once school was out because this was their last year at Hogwarts.

A tall aristocratic blond put his arm around Narcissa. His name was Lucius Malfoy. While he wore a mask to cover his expressions, he was a seventh year deeply in love with Narcissa Black, a fifth year. The middle sister, a brown haired sixth year, sat in the middle of her sisters silent, listening to the Sorting and watching a certain sixth year at the Hufflepuff table, Ted Tonks. Andromeda had come to fancy him over the years at Hogwarts. She figured out with her older sister gone next year and them as Head Girl and Head Boy (they were both at the top of their years) they would have a chance to start a secret relationship.

"Andy, look Sirius is next," Narcissa said.

"Black, Sirius," Professor McGonagall called out.

A boy of average height of an eleven year old stepped up to the stool sat on it and the professor lowered the hat on his head.

His sorting took so long the Narcissa and Andromeda ended up holding hands in worry and Bellatrix had her fingers crossed and chanting, "Not Gryffindor. Not Gryffindor. Not Gryffindor."

Soon, the hat called out, "SLYTHERIN!"

All the real people (Sirius, Hermione, Harry, Albus, Remus, Draco, and Severus) looked shocked.

But the little Sirius took the Sorting Hat off as it grumbled and smirked all the way to the Slytherin table who were clapping. Bellatrix called out proudly, "Now that's my cousin!"

Sirius blushed and sat with the few other first years.

Lily came soon after him he saw and the Sorting Hat called, "RAVENCLAW!"

Lily walked happily to the table of blue and bronze. They waited a little more for Remus's name and he was called up: "Lupin, Remus."

A small sickly pale boy with light brown hair walked to the Sorting Hat, sat and put it on. It took some time but not as long as Sirius's and he was soon sorted: "RAVENCLAW!"

Remus walked and sat next to Lily and she smiled brightly at him.

Severus Snape finally had his name called and he was sorted into Slytherin.

The screen of the Sorting disappeared and words appeared once again: "**Eight years later. With no James Potter, Severus Snape and Sirius Black became good friends in Slytherin. And with no James Potter to publicly humiliate Snape, he was well known with many because he was the Black Heir's friend and Lily Evans's friend for many years until he made a name for himself before he left Hogwarts as a great Potion's students. But with guidance from friends (especially a muggleborn) Black nor Snape received the Dark Mark while many did. They remained neutral in the eyes of all: the Dark Lord, Albus Dumbledore, and the Ministry. **

"**Also, Snape and Lily got married a year out of Hogwarts. Sirius's parents finally found a girl who was pureblood and not a gold-digger (she also, had a sister who took a likening to Remus. They moved to France, where there aren't any restrictions of the marriage between werewolf and human).**

"**Mr. and Mrs. Severus Snape conceived a child a year later and Lily gave birth to him on July 31, 1980. They named him Harry Severus Snape. (It wasn't going to be Harry but Lily threatened to remove some very important male parts from Snape if he didn't allow it.)**"

The real Hermione looked away and tried to stop the hysterical giggles coming from her.

"**The prophecy was never made though during Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts by some miracle he deflected the Killing Curse that headed at his little sister (who turned twelve that day and didn't appreciate being brought into a battle on her birthday) and accidently sent it at Voldemort (and from all those Horcruxes pulling at his soul turned to ash).**

"**Harry was hailed a hero but shortly moved to America after his Hogwarts graduation to escape the fame."**

They were pushed out of the book and everyone was quite shocked with that universe.

Than Sirius said with a bark of a laugh, "Snape, you were so whipped by Lily in that universe." This sent the rest into laughs; Snape gained a bit of color on his cheeks and his lips formed a smirk.

Harry passed the book to Sirius, as he was really eager to see the next universe.

"Okay, chapter two: _In Memoriam_…" Sirius read on.

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><p>Hope you enjoyed!<p>

Reviews are always welcomed.


	3. Chapter 3

_ch3_

"_...He had imagined it, there was no other explanation; imagined it, because he had been thinking of his dead headmaster. If anything was certain, it was that the bright blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore would never pierce him again."_

There was complete silence for a moment before Albus chuckled.

Snape sneered, "Headmaster, how can you laugh about your own death and Skeeter's insult to your memory."

Albus's eyes twinkled as he looked at Snape. "My dear boy, I am not laughing at that. Dear Harry, here is beginning to hallucinate."

"Really? That's what you're laughing about! Ridiculous!" Hermione said shocked. Then, momentarily tensed as she realized she talked back to her _Headmaster_.

"Come on, let's see the next universe!" Sirius said like a _really _hyper two year old child on Christmas morning going through their terrible two's.

So, they head headed into the book and waited for the screen to announce what they would be watching.

**Harry Potter's sorting**.

Harry Potter was discussing his sorting situation with the Sorting Hat.

"_You would not do well in Hufflepuff because you have select loyalty and have little experience in hardworking that does not involve forced manual labor_," said the Sorting Hat into Harry's mind.

"_Blame those awful Dursleys_," Harry thought back.

"Oh_, young one, I do. Now, let's see. You are intelligent but because of those muggles you know little about study habits. You would get eaten alive in there."_

"_Put me somewhere to fit in, to learn, to be strong; I never want to see the Durselys again._"

"_Hmm…You think more about your actions then a typical Gryffindor though you're just as brave as one_," the Sorting Hat spoke to him. "_How about Slytherin? There you will be able to learn what you need too._"

"_I suppose but Hagrid said nothing but evil wizards come from that house_."

"_Young one, go to the eighth floor corridor once you have time. There will be a blank wall. Touch it and tell it you need to speak with me. I will disprove your theory_."

"SLYTHERIN!"

Harry walked to the Slytherin table and sat next to Draco Malfoy.

**Malfoy and Potter became great friends.**

**The Sorting hat showed Harry that Salazar Slytherin wanted Muggleborns separated from Muggles, because during that time muggles killed witches, only because they didn't know any different.**

**Harry learned under his Mentor, Severus Snape, and became one of the great Wizards in the world.**

**He became the Minister of Magic and passes a decree the declared all Muggleborns will be found between the ages of newborn and three and taken from the Muggle families to be adopted into a Wizarding family.**

**This saved many Muggle disputes and lives. Muggleborns became equals over time because they received the same knowledge as half-bloods and purebloods.**

They were all pulled quickly out of the book.

They sat silently. Hermione was thinking about what she just saw. _Could she have been something other than a Mudblood if this happened when she was born?_

Harry and Draco were in shock…sort of. _Friends?_

Remus didn't know what to think. _If __this happened to Muggleborns, do you think this could continue onto werewolves too?_

Severus was in disbelief that Potter's son could possibly that smart. _Minister of Magic? And the world didn't blow up? Wow!_

Sirius just wanted to see more Alternate Universes. _More, more, more, more, more!_

And Albus's direction of mind was in a totally different direction…

He was wondering where he could find some lemon drops. _This place is quite cruddy. I doubt it would have any...shame. _

"Severus, my boy, would you like to read?" Albus asked. He was scanning the counters looking for sweets so he never saw the look of disdain on Snape's face.

Snape sneered and grabbed the book, "Chapter Three: _The Dursleys Departing_…"

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><p>Oooookay! Let's review! Wooooohooooo!<p>

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